Cam's Accomplishments: 2014-2016

December 19, 2016

Since being reelected in 2013, Cam has pushed for initiatives that have made Minneapolis more just, sustainable, peaceful and democratic, and to support community-based economics and development. Here are some of his accomplishments in the past three years.

For Justice:

Cam led on:

Ensuring that all people in Minneapolis have access to healthy food through an ordinance requiring Staple Food in grocery stores and allowing new Mobile Grocery Stores

Repealing the racist, antiquated “lurking” and spitting ordinances

Allowing more flexibility for siting emergency homeless shelters

Authoring a resolution “Standing with All Members of Our One Minneapolis” in the aftermath of the 2016 election

Prohibiting flavored tobacco except at tobacco-only retailers, and set a minimum price for cigars and cigarillos

Prohibiting e-cigarettes in all indoor places where smoking is prohibited

Protecting the residents of the Glendale area from gentrification and the loss of their homes

Standing with the community in response to the police shooting of Jamar Clark and the protests at the 4th Precinct

Cam supported:

Adopting a nation-leading earned sick and safe time ordinance

Studying a local minimum wage of $15 an hour, and moving forward with efforts to pass it

Creating a new Community Action agency to support the poorest people in our community

Adopting an ADA Action Plan to better serve people with disabilities

A Target Market program to help small and minority-owned businesses do business with the City

Scrapping the “Rule of 3” which has inhibited diverse hiring by the City

Removing marijuana from the local list of prohibited drugs

Hiring the City’s first Racial Equity staff

Adopting a resolution for Indigenous People’s Day

Allowing gender-neutral restrooms

For the Environment:

Cam led on:

Forming the Clean Energy Partnership between the City, Xcel and Centerpoint, and serving on the Partnership board

Ensuring that our energy franchise agreements are shorter, and allow the City more flexibility to raise franchise fee revenue for clean energy

A strong Complete Streets policy that prioritizes people walking, biking and taking transit in all City transportation decisions

Passing a protected bikeway plan for building at least 50 miles of new protected bikeways by 2020

Adopting a new Urban Forestry Policy that will protect trees in the right of way from sidewalk and utility work

Making all new skyways bird-safe, and calling on the Sports Facilities Authority to make the Vikings stadium bird-safe

Signing the City up for two Community Solar gardens

Adopting and modeling an 80% carbon emission reduction goal

Adopting a fossil fuel divestment resolution

The Bring Your Own Bag ordinance which prohibits plastic bags and establishes a fee for paper bags

Adopting a resolution making Mpls a pollinator-friendly city

Broadening tenant notification of known environmental contamination by landlords

A resolution calling for the phase-out of triclosan from cleaning products

Requiring recycling chutes in every new development that chooses to have a garbage chute

Establishing an aggressive recycling and waste diversion goal

Winning state funding for a commercial recycling and waste diversion study

Significantly increasing the amount of composting that can occur at community gardens, market gardens and urban farms, while simplifying these regulations

Bringing the international Winter Cycling Congress to Minneapolis as its first US city

Allowing food trucks at farmers markets

Allowing limited production and processing in commercial areas to spur growth in the local food economy

Supporting state action to allow seed sharing libraries

Allowing Mpls farmers to make much more use of farmstands to sell directly to their neighbors

Pushing for a district energy system for the Prospect North / Towerside district

Cam supported:

Investing in Parks and Streets through a funding package that provides $10 million to parks and $20 million to streets annually

Bringing citywide compost service to all 1-4 unit buildings in Minneapolis

Revising the City’s pollution control fees to tie them directly to emissions

Taking legal action against Northern Metals

Forming a work group that is working to craft a Green Zone policy

Prohibiting the toxin perchloroethylene (or “perc”) in new dry cleaners

Adopting a resolution against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline

Requiring recyclable or compostable packaging through the Green to Go ordinance

Re-decking the Franklin Bridge with a new protected bikeway and better connections to Seward

Building many new bikeways: bike lanes on Franklin Ave SE, protected bikeways on Franklin Ave from the river to Riverside and on Oak St SE, a buffered bike lane on Minnehaha Ave, bicycle boulevards on 24th St E and 29th Ave S, and the Dinkytown Greenway trail, among others

Adoption of a better police Use of Force policy to prevent future unnecessary police violence

For Democracy and Community Engagement:

Cam supported:

Adopting a Blueprint for Equitable Engagement

Conducting an external evaluation of the NCR department and neighborhood organizations

Adopting a Language access plan for better serving people with limited English proficiency

For Community-Based Economics and Development:

Cam led on:

Adopting an Intentional Community Ordinance that will allow people of like mind to share housing

Creating the Innovation District tool for redevelopment areas, and applying it to the University Avenue Innovation District in Prospect Park

Ensuring City support and participation for the Prospect North Partnership

Allowing communities to form conservation districts to preserve heritage

Reducing parking requirements for new development within the University District

Giving more flexibility for expansion of premises and commercial parking near TCF stadium

Reconstructing streets, including Minnehaha Avenue and 4th Street SE

Tracking and guiding many new development projects in the ward, including: the Rise, Timberland, Aeon, 600 Washington, 22 on the River, the University Ambulatory Care clinic, and other projects in Prospect Park; Namaste Apartments in Southeast Como; the Bessemer in Seward; the Opportunity Center and new Augsburg building on the West Bank, and more

Welcoming many new small businesses to the ward, including: Longfellow Market, Le Town Talk, Peppers and Fries, Himalayan Restaurant, Sonora Grill, Hi-Lo Diner, Café Racer, Repair Lair, T-Rex Cookies, and many more

Bringing Surly Brewery to Prospect Park

Cam supported:

Creating a new Cooperative Technical Assistance Program to help people form co-op businesses

Forming a new small business office to support all of our vitally important small businesses

Reforming parking requirements for new development citywide

Setting aside 1% for public art from City infrastructure projects

Reforming the old alcohol to food sales ratios, to allow restaurants to be more successful

Second Ward Blog

A public policy forum of Minneapolis Second Ward (Green) City Council Member Cam Gordon and his staff. We use this space to talk about some of what Cam’s working on, explain his positions, and share a little of what life in City Hall is like. Visit the blog »